Oh yeaaaah....I forgot I had this thing.- Part 1

Its been more than a month since Ive posted here. Similarly so, my last ride was more than a month ago. Theres nothing to really write about on a cycling endeavor blog, if there are no endeavors.

So what have I been doing? I have been DJing lots (join my fan page =D ). I've become a master at Team Fortress 2 I have started watching 'How I met your Mother' - which I can say is the best mid twenty-something show out, since scrubs.

The biggest thing to happen in this interim was a change in my approach to training.

Last winter, I was that super-ambitious, gonna script out a plan, go paleo, track every number, get tested bla bla bla.

Now, my approach (if you havent already seen the lead up to this) is a more jaded variety of, yea I want to improve, ill write out a loose plan, screw paleo- just no double downs, track every other number etc.

It took awhile to be honest with myself, but last season killed my soul. The long hours, the forced scripted workouts, the number tracking, the constant need to see improvement. It sucked.

I've come to realize that I don't want to be that super keener training person. That just isn't me. If Lance Armstrong's coach came up to me and told me that based on my potential, there's a good shot you could be top 5 in the country, I think I would pass on the opportunity to give it my all. The cost:benefit just doesn't seem to make sense anymore. Last summer I gave up 90% of my weekends to racing, and just like that, my summer was over. I worked full time to fuel this sport and all its expensive mishaps. Never again.

This drastic change in mentality could also be due to my current place in life. In university it is easy to train. Your year is scripted, and time on the bike is far more fun than doing bioinformatics in a basement lab. Since about 2005 I have been training regularly. Of course, back then training was hammering non stop for an hour or two. Now im 24 and I havent climbed Kilimanjaro, spent time as a monk in Tibet, taught english in Japan, spent a hazy week in Ibiza... you catch my drift.

Living the life of a pro athlete requires commitment and a half. You have to give up everything in order to squeak out that 2-3% gain that separates you from pack fodder, to sponsored athlete.

Thats not me.

My name is Aaron, I like to ride bikes fast. I like chasing down other riders. I also like hitting the pub on weekends and I like spontaneity and DJ'ing until the sun comes up. I eat healthy 6 days out of 7, but day 7 is a day of pizza and wings.

So, that being said... this doesn't mean that my days of Pro/Elite racing are over, but it certainly means the era of over structured training plans, and disciplinary living is. Life will toss you enough stress as is, I dont need self induced stress.

Next year I will train hard, but I will be following the Eddy Merckx training plan:
Ride Lots. I will skip races if I dont feel like racing, and I will do more 'for fun' races.

I don't ever want to feel this burned out again..